authors

Augustin Loada, Ornella Moderan

Cover

Abstract

Representative and credible civil society organisations (CSOs) are integral stakeholders in the democratic governance of the security sector. They can contribute by influencing security policy so that it better reflects the security needs of men, women, boys and girls; informing the people about security-related matters, and the role and rights of citizens; supporting constructive relations between security institutions and civilians; supporting public institutions with specialised expertise, etc. However, civil society actors are sometimes unaware of their role, lack the tools and skills to fully engage in this field or struggle to identify entry points. Their potential contribution is therefore often underexploited.

Tool 6 of the Toolkit for Security Sector Reform and Governance in West Africa addresses the gaps in knowledge and skills that hinder the involvement of West African civil society actors in public oversight of the security sector and provides CSOs of the region with practical advice and guidance on how to strengthen their capacity for action and optimise the impact of their contributions to SSR and SSG.

Table of contents

Introduction

Understanding the concept of civil society

Security sector reform and governance

Understanding democratic control and oversight of the security sector

Why should civil society contribute to addressing security issues?

How can civil society contribute to improving security sector governance?